WHO'S
THAT GIRL?
By
JOSLYN YANG
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Elizabeth Banks broke all the rules to land the role of a lifetime
opposite Tobey Maguire in "Seabiscuit."
- Peter Brooker/REX
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July
15, 2003 -- IT'S no surprise seeing names
like Brad, Johnny and Tobey in big-budget blockbusters. But their
female co-stars haven't quite achieved marquee status - yet.
For
three struggling actresses, everything from luck to brains to
desperation to a good wardrobe helped them land the roles that will
transform their careers.
The
closest Keira Knightley had ever been to a blockbuster was as
Natalie Portman's double in "The Phantom Menace" - that is,
until the quirky hit "Bend It Like Beckham" began to build momentum.
But
producer Jerry Bruckheimer was so busy casting "Pirates of the
Caribbean" (now in theaters) he couldn't keep up on current cinema.
"At
that time, I hadn't even heard of the 'Beckham' movie," said
Bruckheimer. But he was insistent the role of Elizabeth - the
kidnapped heroine who outwits a gang of pirates - had to be played by
a British actress.
He
scouted female leads from famous faces to complete unknowns -
eventually discovering Knightley in a pile of audition tapes.
Knightley
couldn't have been more surprised when the invitation came for an
audition.
"I
flew over to L.A. on a Sunday," she said. "I did all my
auditions on Monday, flew to New York on Tuesday, met Jerry for
dinner the same night and flew home Wednesday."
Two
weeks later, she got the good news.
"It
was all very crazy," said Knightley, who impressed Bruckheimer
so much he signed her as Guinevere in his next movie, "King Arthur."
For
Elizabeth Banks, landing the coveted leading role in
"Seabiscuit" - which opens next Friday, co-starring Tobey
Maguire and Jeff Bridges - was an act of utter desperation.
She
campaigned heavily for the part - auditioning three times in six
weeks for director Gary Ross.
"Every
time I went in, I said, 'OK, I'm not getting the part,'" said
Banks. "I would get the call, saying: 'He wants to see you again.'"
By
the third audition, Banks knew she had to do something to stand out,
so she had her hair and makeup done in a 1930s style.
Still
no dice.
When
that didn't work, Banks broke the rules: She wrote a letter to the director.
"It
seemed a bit desperate to me at first," said Banks. "But I
felt I had nothing to lose at that point. The worst scenario was that
he said 'No.'"
But
since "Seabiscuit" tells the story of a gimpy
throughbred's triumph against all odds, Banks' letter emphasized how
she grew up watching horse racing.
"I
got the part in four days," said Banks.
Australian
actress Rose Byrne - now starring in "I Capture the Castle"
- still isn't sure how she got chosen to be Brad Pitt's love
interest in the upcoming epic, "Troy."
The
audition process was arduous - and director Wolfgang Petersen wasn't
even there to watch. Byrne would perform in an empty room in Sydney
and send the audition tapes to L.A.
"It's
hard to do an audition when the director isn't even there,"
said Byrne. "You have no idea what he wants. I just go with my instinct."
After
the first tape, her agent told her Petersen wanted to see more.
Byrne remained skeptical: "I don't believe anything until it
happens. I heard it all before."
She
made another audition tape while filming "Obsessed" with
Josh Hartnett, in Canada. Again, Petersen wasn't even in the room.
Finally,
a month later, Byrne flew to L.A. to meet the auteur for an
in-person audition.
"I
was totally in shock," said Byrne, 24. "Working in this
business, you get used to rejection. For every part you do get, there
are about 100 parts you don't."
Eager
to seal the deal, she showed up in a costumefitting for
"Troy," which made all the difference: In January, she
learned "Troy" would not be one of those 100.
Leading
lady: Elizabeth Banks, 27
Breakthrough
blockbuster: "Seabiscuit" with Tobey Maguire
Blink
and you'll miss her in: "Catch Me If You Can" and
"Spider-Man" d
Leading
lady: Rose Byrne, 24
Breakthrough
blockbuster: "Troy" with Brad Pitt
Blink
and you'll miss her in: "Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of
the Clones," "I Capture the Castle"
Leading
lady: Keira Knightley, 20
Breakthrough
blockbuster: "Pirates of the Caribbean" with Johnny Depp
Blink
and you'll miss her in: "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace"
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